23-Year-Old Player Triumphs in 1,648-Entry Field
The World Poker Tour returned to Texas this month with the $1,100 buy-in WPT Prime Lodge Championship at The Lodge Poker Club in Austin. The $1 million guaranteed event drew 1,648 players across six starting flights before a champion was crowned on Day 3 on Monday.
When the dust settled, it was 23-year-old Harvey Castro who rose above a competitive final table to claim the title, two trophies, and a $225,020 payday. The victory also earned him a seat into the $10,400 WPT World Championship in Las Vegas.
Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvey Castro | $225,020 |
| 2 | Joshua Stewart | $143,000 |
| 3 | Steve Hwang | $106,000 |
| 4 | Esther Taylor | $79,000 |
| 5 | Nicholas Scott | $60,000 |
| 6 | Rafael Reis | $45,500 |
| 7 | Martin Torres | $35,000 |
| 8 | David Sollee | $27,500 |
| 9 | Hai Pham | $21,400 |
Day 3 Highlights
Seventeen players returned for the final day of play, with the action streamed live on the WPT YouTube channel. The elimination of Javier Zarco in tenth place set up the official final table, where Castro began as the chip leader, followed by Esther Taylor and Nicholas Scott.
Rafael Reis started as the short stack but managed to climb to sixth place after several key pay jumps. David Sollee was the first to fall from the final table when his pocket queens were cracked by Taylor’s set of threes.
Taylor, who earlier this year took third in the WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship, continued her strong form but eventually finished fourth for $79,000. Steve Hwang followed in third, having earlier survived a three-way all-in where his pocket jacks beat Joshua Stewart’s kings.
Heads-Up Battle: Castro vs. Stewart
The heads-up duel between Castro and Stewart decided the championship. In the final hand, Stewart’s jack-ten flopped a straight draw against Castro’s pocket nines, but the board ran out to give Castro a full house, securing the win and the title.
At just 23, Castro already boasts impressive results. His victory at The Lodge marks his second-largest career score, behind his 2023 WSOP Circuit Choctaw Main Event win for $275,660. Earlier this year, he also finished runner-up in the WPT Rolling Thunder Main Event for $193,600.
Notable Cashes and Event Highlights
The WPT Prime stop at The Lodge also featured the Wildcard Mystery Bounty Chaos event, where a big stack was required to swap chips with the tournament’s shortest stack.
Other players who cashed included DJ MacKinnon ($11,300 for 22nd), Angelina Rich ($8,200 for 37th), content creator Nikki Limo ($1,940 for 184th), and podcast guest host Hayley Hanna ($2,920 for 92nd).
Fans can watch the full final table replay on the official WPT YouTube channel.
